Imperfection
by Time Holder
Summary: A young boy and his father discover the technology to create a human hologram, and it all goes downhill from there


At Imperfection  
  
By Justin Wright  
  
William Turner pounded away at the keyboard, his fingers flying over the keys and putting strange symbols and number combinations that most people wouldn't understand, much less excel at. On another screen was a three-dimensional model of a plant in a flowerpot. As William added more and more numbers the plant became more defined and realistic. When he was finally satisfied with the model he pushed his chair over to a table where a small box lay. He pushed a button on the side of the box and it opened up into a platform with a small orb in the middle. He then pushed back to the computer and hit a few more keys. The model on the computer screen flickered and then disappeared. William frowned and slammed his fist at the table, shaking the CDs that lay strung out on it. A flash of light caught his eye and he spun his chair around to face the small cube platform. The plant model from the computer was now being projected from the small orb. William let out as big of a cheer as he could, considering it was one in the morning and he was supposed to be resting for an English exam the next morning, but he considered this more important. This was the project that would take him from the gutter to the top of the social ladder.  
  
The next morning William woke up completely exhausted. He didn't even remember falling asleep. He quickly got dressed and then headed over to his father's lab to grab his hologram. He took the orb out of the cube and grabbed the laptop that had a miniature version of the hologram program in it. It was just enough to make it appear, but it couldn't be altered. He then grabbed his keys and headed to the car, not even bothering to get breakfast.  
  
He arrived at the school about twenty minutes later feeling energized and happier than he had in a while. This would be the day that would change everything, he thought. On his way to English he met up with his only real friend, Jessi. She was about 5'4 with blonde hair down to her shoulders. She was very pretty but never seemed to notice. She was also the only person that understood half of what William talked about. "Did you study for the exam last night?" She asked as they walked. "No, I did something better!" He said with a smile. "Well that's not hard.what did you do?" She asked, but William had already left her side. She frowned and walked on.  
  
Most of the day went by in a flash, and soon it was time to reveal his masterpiece. William slipped in to his last class, Science, a few minutes early and placed the small orb in the teacher's desk. He then sat down in his seat and put the laptop under the table, well hidden from the teacher and most students. He waited patiently for the class to file in and then finally for the teacher to come and start class. The normal routine took place: The teacher walked into the class and shut the door. He then said "Good afternoon class!" and the class echoed. After this he would make his way to his desk and place his things inside; this is where things changed. As he approached his desk, William quietly clicked a few keys on the laptop, making the plant appear from the tiny orb. The orb held all the information for the object, which meant that each object needed an orb. Then each orb could be controlled through the laptop, or edited through the computer. The object was made through lasers and sensors in the orb. It would project the object from the orb (which would be in the middle so it was easily hidden) and then sensors would let the program know when the object was being touched or, in the case of the plant, what scent to give off. This allowed for the object to seem as real as everything else, with some slight bugs of course. The teacher opened his desk to find a flowerpot with a fully blooming rose growing from it. He pulled out of his desk and held it in front of the class. "What's the point of this?" He asked, scanning the room for guilty faces. William just smiled. "Will, why are you smiling? This is not funny, no one is allowed in my desk!" He shouted, spitting on the holographic plant. One of the bugs in the system is that the orb is heavily affected by liquid. And since liquid is not a solid, the sensors do not pick it up and is therefore allowed through to the orb. It is hard to explain what liquid does to the orb.but it does not fair well. The saliva hit the orb and it went haywire. The plant started to lose its form, which alarmed the teacher, and the orb fell to the desk. It rolled to the floor and William went over to pick it up. "Is this your doing?" The teacher asked, surprised. "Yes. It's a hologram," William announced proudly. There were some whispers throughout the class, but the teacher quickly silenced them. "I'm well aware of what it is Mr. Turner. I'm wanting to know how it got into my desk," The teacher said strictly. "Well.it was a demonstration. I believe you see that it's quite impressive, even though this orb will need serious repair," William said, frowning at the small, sparking sphere in his hand. "I am both impressed and annoyed. You could have easily shown your toy at another time, one not during school hours. I will be sending you to the principal, she will know how to deal with you and your orb," The teacher said and pulled out a yellow slip. He scribbled a few things on it and handed it to William. "Now be off with you, I have a class to start!"  
  
William drove home feeling a lot worse than he had planned on. Because of his 'stunt', as the principal put it, he would be serving five days in detention. And to top it off he had a busted orb and had gotten his laptop taken away. His ladder climbing day didn't seem to do anything more than grind him further into the gutter.  
  
"Will! We have to talk!" It was Jessi. She was standing outside his bedroom window, as she always did, shouting for him to let her up. He finally gave in and walked downstairs where he opened the door and invited her in. "What is it?" He asked. Maybe she could make him feel better, since nothing else could. "Why didn't you tell me about this hologram stuff?" She asked, coming inside. "It was supposed to be a surprise. Didn't turn out as grand as I planned it to be." He said, still sulking. "Well there's always next time. Besides.it was only a flower. You can do a lot better if you work some more. Can I see the program?" She asked. She followed him upstairs and into the lab. His father's work programs were running, as usual. "I wish he'd remember to close these when he's done," William said. He exited a few screens but then saw something that caught his eye. The holographic technology William had been using was developed by his father, a famous scientist. He basically tweaked it and stole it for his own play when his father wasn't around, which was most of the time. What William saw on the screen was a model of a woman. She was beautiful. She was everything that all celebrities wanted to be. She was.needless to say, perfect. Jessi watched William gawk at her for a few seconds before cutting in. "This doesn't look like a flowerpot," She said. He popped out of his trance and looked at her. "Right.sorry. I was just wondering why my dad would make this. We're supposed to be doing inanimate models. He told me he wasn't sure if the orbs were strong enough to keep a moving object stable. I've got to check this out." William grabbed a new orb and placed it on the platform. He pushed a few keys and watched as a three inch tall woman appeared around the orb. "What's going on?" She said in a tiny voice. "Hmm.seems like there's still some problems," William said. He reached his hand over to the miniature woman and tried to pick her up. He placed her in the palm of his hand and burst out laughing. "This is amazing! Do you know what this means, Jessi?" He asked. "Um.everyone can have a little Britney Spears in their house now?" She said sarcastically. "No! My father has found a way to make holographic people. If I can fix the size then this will be the biggest scientific achievement in like.forever!" William said excitedly. ".So basically you want to make perfect people? Isn't that like cloning?" Jessi asked. "Maybe a little, but could you imagine what would happen if this got out?" William asked, still excited. "My guess would be that there would be a lot of people trying to steal the technology and a lot of people against it. Did I mention it's like cloning?" Jessi said. "Okay.your opinion is noted. Now will you help me get this woman full- size?"  
  
They worked on through the night. William stole some money his father hid in a sock and ordered them pizza; he wouldn't miss the money. Jessi called her parents and said she was working on a school project so they could work longer. They were working so hard that they didn't hear William's father come home at about 9pm. "What are you doing in here?" He asked as he set his briefcase and swipe card on a desk by the door. "We're.uh." William let out a sigh. "We're helping you." "Helping me how?" His father asked. "Well.I've been looking at your holographic programs, working on my own a bit, and when I saw the human hologram I just had to help you. I've almost figured out how to make her full-size!" William said proudly. "This is my work, Son. I should be working on it and you should be working on homework like every other seventeen-year-old boy. And bringing your friend Jessi over.what were you thinking?" He asked, almost yelling. "She volunteered! She came over on her own, Dad! And I'm helping you because I thought you could use the help. Working all day and staying up all night is not good for you. I'm here all alone everyday, and I have plenty of time to work on it. Why don't you want my help?" William asked. "Because it's not your technology and not your job. Why don't you spend your time going to football games, or hanging out with your friends? If you want to worry about what's good for you then why don't we talk about you. You stay inside all day working on my technology in my lab when you could easily have a life of your own!" His father shouted. "This is what I want to do. If I wanted to be like everyone else then I would. I like Science; I like what I do in my free time. Is there anything wrong with doing what I like?" William asked, on the verge of tears. ".Nothing. It's just that.since I can't be here for you I want others to be," His father said, also about to cry. "I think it's time for me to go," Jessi said, trying to slip out before this got any more personal. "Okay then, thanks for your help, I'm sure my dad will appreciate it.eventually," William said coldly. He watched his friend go and then hugged his father.  
  
William's father agreed to let him help on the hologram project. It was the smart thing to do for many reasons. Especially since in a matter of days they would hit the jackpot. William had just gotten home from school and settled in to work. The holographic woman now stood about three feet tall, but wouldn't seem to get any bigger. Just as he was about to give up it struck him. He placed two orbs on the platform and pressed a few keys. Their orbs weren't meant for large object, usually nothing bigger than a cat or dog. But if he put the top part of her into one orb and the bottom into another, and they could come together, then it would be easy to make her as tall as he wanted. He tried this and the woman standing before him was easily 5'9. She looked at him and cocked her head to the side. "Why do you look so short now?" She asked. "Because you grew. Go look in the mirror," He told her. She went over to the mirror and smiled. "I'm perfect," She said with satisfaction. "That's the idea," William said. He put his arm on her shoulder, just to see if it would work. He touched her and she jumped. "What was that?" She asked, looking at her shoulder. "It was touch. You could feel it?" William found this strange. "I felt a tingle.it was weird," She said with a frown. "Hmm.I'll have to ask Dad about this when he gets home," William said. "Who's Dad?" The hologram asked. William laughed. "My father. I'll have to program some education into you.just speech won't do."  
  
In a matter of hours William had set the hologram up to the Internet; she could now find whatever information she wanted in a matter of seconds. It would be the perfect way for her to 'learn' things instead of just programming certain things in and hoping for the best. "Now for a name." William said. He had been thinking about this all day, but none really worked. Then a name came to him and he laughed. "How about Kayley Byte?" "I like that," Kayley said. She smiled. She was still looking at herself in the mirror, never seeming to have stopped enjoying her image. Of course who would? It was perfection!  
  
After discussing the matter with his father, William was able to test the hologram at school. He put his laptop in his backpack after turning her on, and then set off with her beside him. "You're gonna make me popular, Kayley!" He said excitedly. He met up with Jessi at the front doors of the school. She looked at Kayley strangely and then frowned. "You got it done." "Why so unhappy? This is a good day!" William said. He spun around with his arms in the air, almost falling over and looking like a bigger loser. "So why'd you bring her here?" Jessi asked. She looked the hologram over, finding no flaws. She frowned again. No one should be this perfect. "It's a test. I'm seeing how she fares in a public place. She's got to seem realistic, right?" William said. She gave his friend a reassuring pat on the back. "Don't worry, I've got this covered." "That's not what I'm worried about." She said and headed towards class. William waited until she was out of earshot and then shook his head. "She worries too much," He said to Kayley, but she wasn't there. He looked all around. She was gone.  
  
Kayley had almost made it to the cafeteria when she was stopped. "What are you doing here? Class has started. And who are you?" It was the principal. "I'm Kayley Byte. Who are you?" She asked with a smile. The principal wasn't smiling. "I am the principal, Mr. White. Now why aren't you in class?" "I'm.a new student. I'm here with William Turner, but we seem to have been separated. I don't have a schedule yet, so I'm sorry I'm not in class." Kayley said politely. "Well those can easily be fixed." Principal White pulled a walkie-talkie off of his belt and whispered a few things into it very closely. Then he put the walkie-talkie back on his belt and put his hand on Kayley's shoulder. "If you'll just follow me," He said kindly. She eyed his hand and frowned, but followed anyway.  
  
A voice came over the intercom in the middle of William's English class. "Can you please send William Turner to the principal's office?" The secretary asked, as cheerful as ever. "Sure thing," The teacher said. William looked at Jessi with a puzzled look and then left the room.  
  
"Good. Now that you're here, you can help us with something," The principal said as William came in the office. William saw Kayley in the office too. He was suddenly worried. He cursed Jessi for rubbing off on him. "Help with what, sir?" William asked. "Well this young lady here said that she was a new student, someone you know?" Principal White asked. "Yes. She's my.cousin. Just moved here from Chicago. I was showing her around and she wandered off. I'm very sorry, sir," William said. "Why do you call him sir? He is not of nobility or military status," Kayley said. "It's a sign of respect. I'm well respected in this school," Principal White announced proudly. "I'll keep that in mind," Kayley said. "Good. Now on to more pressing matters. William, I gave your cousin here her schedule, and I would like you to show her to her classes. Can you do that? I'll check with your teachers so you don't get in trouble." "Yeah, we'll be fine," William said. He took Kayley's hand and led her out of the office. "Why did you run off?" He asked once they were in the silent hallway. "I wanted to look around.what's the big deal?" She asked. "You have to stay with me, I know where to go!" He said. "I'm sorry.can we go to class now?" She asked, without the slightest hint of remorse in her voice. Yeah, sure. You've got Science first." William led her to the Science lab and then returned to his own class.  
  
William invited Jessi over that afternoon to show her how he had 'fixed' Kayley. "This is interesting and all.but I need to use the restroom," Jessi announced and headed off, leaving William and Kayley alone. "I have a favor to ask of you," Kayley said. She moved close to William and smiled. "I'd like to experiment this 'touch' as you call it." She ran her fingers across William's cheek. "I.I can't. You're just a hologram, it's not right," William said. Kayley frowned. "Well you made me exactly what you wanted, didn't you?" "No, I made you perfect. There's a difference," William said. He backed away. "Isn't perfection what everyone strives for? What everyone hopes to have?" Kayley asked. She backed William against a wall. "No.it's what they hope to find. But nothing's perfect, not even you," William said. "You have bugs, and faulty programming. Physical appearance makes nothing of a person." William said. He heard the bathroom door and smiled. Jessi would help him. She walked in on them and let out a sound of disgust. "I knew it would happen eventually. After all.she's perfect, and I'm not!" Jessi ran out of the room. He heard her heavy footsteps on the stairs and pushed Kayley out of the way. He pressed a few keys before she could get up and she disappeared, replaced by two small orbs.  
  
"Jessi, wait!" William said, running out into the street after his friend. "Why do you care about me? Wouldn't you rather be in there with your perfect creation?" She said disgustedly. "No, I wouldn't. I'm deleting her; it's too much. You can't create a person.it's playing God. Besides, perfection isn't all it's cracked up to be." William grabbed Jessi's hands and put them in his own. "I think imperfection fits me much better." They both smiled and walked down the street together, going nowhere in particular but enjoying each other's company. 


End file.
